Two of Law & Order: SVU‘s most popular ADAs — Stephanie March and Diane Neal — are headed back to the show this fall.

An SVU spokesperson confirms that the pair will return for “an undetermined number of episodes” during SVU‘s upcoming 13th season.

The news comes a week after the show tapped Danny Pino and Kelli Giddish to help fill the detective void left by Chris Meloni. Leading lady Mariska Hargitay, meanwhile, will appear in all 22 episodes, although her Benson character is expected to segue into more of a supervisory role.

Thoughts? Are you less inclined to cancel your SVU season pass now that March and Neal are returning? Hit the comments!

I am very happy to hear the news that Diane Neal is returning for a number of episodes.I agree that they pulled a real coup getting these two stalwarts of the courtroom back- but where does that leave Melissa Sagemiller?I don’t think her character even had a chance to catch on w viewers,unfortunately.I’m saddened by the demise of Stabler and Benson.I have to say I enjoyed CM as Stabler but the fact that he would turn down an $8 million paycheck to do one last season with SVU speaks volumes about where his interests lie. I think he’s a fabulous actor but he’s a 50 y.o man in a youth-driven industry. I applaud MH for actually sticking w the show for one final season and then bowing out gracefully. I think she recognizes the role SVU has played in her career: even her foundation came from her work on the series.I’ll be much sadder to see her go when the time comes.

People are too obsessed with Meloni leaving… and Hargitay IS NOT leaving, I wish people would stop saying that she is! I think taht the show is going back in the right direction now, it totally missed the mark in Season 12… it is not Law and Order if you don’t have the ‘Order’. I like the news of Cabot and Novak coming back A LOT and I am definitely watching the next season… very excited!!

i cant believe stabler wont be on it in the new season :( i love him. i also like Benson as well so fin & munch arent on it either that bites ill still watch it though i like the show. i wished stabler & benson hooked up though they would of made a great couple

thank god..very upset that benson and stabler wont end up together eventually but I love benson as a whole and im sorry alex kicks ass followed closely by novak…but yeah im with that guy earlier..benson and alex woohoo lol

You have absolutely NO proof to this. Unless you’re one of the writers or producers (which I’m assuming you’re not since you bash the show so often), you have no idea whether they were going to do it or not. They could have easily been waiting until the end of the show. And even though DW and NB said it wasn’t going to happen on multiple occasions, they have also acknowledged that it was very possible and to never give up hope.

You really need a wake-up call. Since Stabler went home to his wife it been made increasingly and pointedly clear that he is still in love with Kathy. It is also equally clear that he only thinks of Benson as his partner. Even Benson has said that nothing was going to happen between even if she couldn’t admit even to herself that it just because he was married but he wasn’t interested in her.
Baer’s refusal to state that outright was just anothre one of his attempts to EO shippers watching so the ratings would drop farther than they already had.

Yes! I’m so happy! I love those two characters! I just pray and hope that Danny Pino and Kelli Giddish can do justice with their roles to keep the show going. This is my All-time favorite TV show…I watch all the re-runs on USA network too!

ME TOO…and now I’m sure glad I started my collection of SVU from the first year to season 11. When I can’t catch it on USA or I simply need an SVU “fix” I pull out my dvds! :) I almost have each episode memorized now..Hee hee

Never liked Alex…but glad to see Casey is coming back. Though I still don’t think it’s enough to keep me a loyal viewer. I’ll watch the first couple of episodes to see how they write out Elliot but then I’m done. SVU is nothing without Benson AND Stabler!

It is sort of a bittersweet moment because Chris and Olivia have been partners since the beginning of the show. On the upside they are bringing both original ADA’s back, which is why I’m going to continue watching. In addition Benson is the one who bring more action to the show.

I LOVE DANNY PINO was a big fan of his on COLD CASE( should NEVER have been cancelled). I can see him adding his good ”cop skills ” to the show. Im REALLY gonna miss CHRISTOPHER his chemistry with MARISKA is off the chart…hopefully fans will stick with the show and give DANNY PINO A SHOT…..IS IT ME OR DOES CHRISTOPHER MELONI HAVE the most AMAZING BACKSIDE..can i get a AMEN!!!

I was not sure if I would be tuning in with the new season and the exit of my all time favorite character Elliot Stabler played by Christopher Meloni. Also if Jennifer Love Hewitt was stepping in I really was not going to watch. On the upside after reading that Stephanie March and Diane Neal would be coming back, it made me want to at least give the new season a try. For whatever reason Chris Meloni decided not to come back I wish him much luck and success on his new endeavors.

SVU is undoubtedly the best show ever! Always was and I thought always would be. Although without Chris Meloni, it is definitely going to be very different. He and Mariska were the show…no doubt. I am thrilled that Stephanie is returning…she was the best ADA. Love the fact they are both returning, but unless they bring back Chris, I’m not sure how long the show will last. Believe me, I hope it lasts forever….I just don’t know.

i want stabler to stay and mariska to stay. this makes svu the show it is. stabler and mariska is great. but i guess i will give it a try all season. the two ada’s are good also. the show is good, what can i say.

When was it announced that Elliot is leaving??? I’ve been waiting for years for him to get rid of Kathy and hook up with Olivia!! I’m glad Alex and Casey are coming back though! BTW AO fans, the show has mentioned that both ladies are straight…before anyone goes calling me a homophobe, I have no problem with homosexuality on tv or anywhere else, but it just isn’t going to happen with those two.

Christopher Meloni decided not to sign up for Season 13. So the character of Stabler will be written out somehow. We should find out in the first episode of next season.
The only good thing about his leaving is that there will never be a chance to have a Stabler/Benson hook-up.

Hopefully with Casey & Alex returning, there will actually be some “Order” in addition to the “Law” aspect. Last year lacked the courtroom drama of previous seasons. The whole premise of L&O was to show both the police work and the district attorney office role in the justice system!

i am way to excited about both casey and alex coming back!! doesnt suprise me a bit that elliot is leaving, i was kinda waiting for that myself, i am suprised he hasnt left before now, after all the crap he has been through, with his oldest seeing a guy being burned to death, and his wife almost dieing in that wreck with liv on the way to the hospital, his whole family just went through way to much for his char to want to stay on there … way to go elliot, be a family man!!!

I must have missed something because I didn’t know that Chris Meloni left the show. Could someone please tell me why? It won’t stop me from watching next season as it is my favorite show. I myself was a victim of sexual abuse and could’ve used an SVU unit at the time but there wasn’t one. This show has helped me work through a lot of issues from that.

I thought the show jumped the shark long ago. I mean, how many times can Mariska be raped or attacked and how many times can she be nominated for an Emmy for such blasé acting. Okay, we get it, you’re tough. Stop trying to prove it!

Not talent, but a huge investment by NBC to promote one of their few chances to get nominations in drama. It had more to do with name recognition and poorly written Emmy nomination instructions that quality performances.
Hopefully this year will be different.

It wouldn’t matter that the actresses are back as Cabot and Novak if the writing doesn’t improve to the quality it was in seasons 1-6. The new writers need to step up and research what they are writing about. No more stupidity from the ADAs! And the same for the defense lawyers.

I love law and order svu…… I have been watching and would say this is one of the few shows i watch on tv…… I dont care what hapens i will always watch it….. I love the fact that the my two favorite ada’s are returning and i love episodes well fin and olivia work it he is just as important to the show as munch the captain and olivia and stabler but since he is gone i think fin should be her partner now …. Just all it is my favorite ……

I love both these Actresses. Which one is going to be the primary ADA though. I think they should make Stephanie (Alexandra Cabbot) the top DA and Diane (Casey Novak) the ADA again. Love seeing these two actresses together. Hate to see Christhoher Melonie gone, but I love Mariskia (Oliva Benson) more.

I could give a rat’s butt about Meloni leaving. I’m MORE inclined to watch without him. His character was nothing anymore. Stephanie March is back and that’s all I care about. And yes, now the ratings will be just fine.

I’m glad that Stephanie and Diane will be back, but I will miss Chris Meloni and am disappointed that Mariska Hargitay will not play as big a role. While detectives have come and gone on other Law & Order shows, Meloni and Hargitay have been the main detectives on this for a long time. Only time will tell what the new changes will mean, but I intend to watch with an open mind and hope for the best!

Well don’t get too excited, she probably will quit after season 13 to spend time with her family. Though I assume you won’t ever be watching SVU again, since once she’s done the show is O-V-E-R. Not that I really care if you watch or not, it’s not as if you’re important to the show. Obviously, you are not a loyal fan. Anyhow, I hope you are able to find some other tv show and incredible human being to hate.